Recreation on The National Forest

Abstract

Under a five-year recreation program known as Operation Outdoors the Forest Service is expanding its camping and picnicking facilities, ski areas, and back country campsites to meet a growing public demand. This article traces the development of the recreation use of national forests from the time the forest reserves were set aside to the present. It explains some of the prob lems that have come with the increased popularity of the forests and how the Forest Service has tried to meet them. Since the 1930's recreation has had a firm place in national forest administration and planning. The present program contemplates construction of enough facilities to handle 66 million visits to the national forests by 1962 without spoiling the forest environment which people come to enjoy.